Lynnwood Fire seeks to replace current EMS levy

LYNNWOOD — The Lynnwood Fire Department is asking voters to approve a 10-year levy for emergency medical services in the general election.

The replacement levy would keep the current rate of 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value through 2023, Fire Chief Tod Gates said. The owner of a $300,000 home would continue to pay $150 a year.

The levy brings an estimated $2.1 million in annual revenue for the fire department. That’s nearly a quarter of the department’s annual $8.5 million budget.

The levy requires a simple majority of the vote to pass. If approved, the money would be used for staffing, equipment and training for emergency medical services, Gates said.

“It just depends on what we need,” he said.

About 70 percent of the department’s emergency calls are for medical problems rather than fires, the chief said.

“I just want people to know that we really put a lot of emphasis on providing quality emergency medical services and care, and the levy is one of the ways that we fund that activity,” Gates said. “Their continued support is critical.”

The current levy is set to expire in 2015. The general election is Nov. 5.